A New Sunrise
by Z.R. Stein
Summary: Fifty years after the Infinity War decimated half of Earth's population, a Quarian ship jumps through the Charon relay, pulling the Nations of Earth into the intrigue of the wider galaxy. Homebrew futuristic MCU.
1. Chapter 1

**Z.R. Stein**

**A New Sunrise - A Mass Effect/MCU crossover AU fic.**

**I do not own the characters of the respective properties in any way, shape, or form.**

**It's time for crossposting boys and girls! If you've been wondering why I haven't been writing on for the past...what's it been, two years now? Well, I have been writing, quite often, in fact, but on Spacebattles. And I figured hey, why not port them all over here so that people can read them as well?**

**I probably won't be actually writing any ****_new_**** chapters for any of these fics anytime soon, though.**

**This fic was written before either Infinity War or Endgame came out, and thus, I made up my own loose interpretation of the Infinity War.**

X X X

The brilliant gases of Neptune swirled endlessly on the planet below. This far out in the solar system, the sun was dim and wan, though it was still a welcome sight, especially since it illuminated the various asteroids and chunks of ice that the _Noxolo_ was drifting though.

Sipho of the Deyi clan studied the distant ball of light for a moment longer before turning back to his work. If his supervisor caught him slacking off by watching the stars, he'd get in trouble; after last week's incident in the mess hall with Nojalhalo, he really didn't want to risk it. Captain Bhengu would be liable to space him if he made them look bad in front of the Americans.

"Lookout, this is Legionnaire-M342, we're making our approach now." came a voice over the comms. Sipho thumbed his communicator and replied "This is _Noxolo_ tractor beam number 3, we're ready for you."

Flicking off the communicator, Sipho dragged his fingers down the holographic display to his left and waited, watching the sensor screens in front of him for the payload that the Americans were delivering. Idly, his thoughts began to drift back to home. Just two more weeks and he'd be back on Earth. While space was exciting and all, he'd like to have some honest-to-Bast dirt under his feet.

A steady beep from the sensor screens brought him out of his thoughts. The Americans were in range, finally. With how much they bragged about their Legionnaire suits, he thought they were awfully slow. How much vibranium could they have possibly found out there anyways?

"_Noxolo_ tractor beam 3, we have visual contact."

Sipho frowned and looked out at the belt. Strange...he couldn't see the tell tale repulsor glow anywhere. He looked back at his sensors for a moment, then back out the window, calculating where that would be in relation to himself.

A moment later, Sipho's eyes widened dramatically and his mouth dropped open. If his sensors were functional (and they probably were), then the asteroid that he was looking at was the source of the transmission. The asteroid that looked larger than a Thoth strike ship and was rapidly approaching. The asteroid that had distinct, thick veins of silvery blue vibranium running through it.

No wonder he hadn't seen the Legionnaires, that thing was enormous. Even if the veins were poor quality (and they didn't look like it), that single rock could be worth more than the _Noxolo_ itself. Sipho felt a wide, excited grin breaking out onto his face. He could almost smell the bonus he was going to get for this. Bast be praised, he might even be able to move his family to Central Wakanda.

"I see you, M342. Activating tractor beam now."

With a few taps, Sipho activated his tractor beam. A narrow cone of azure shot towards the vibranium asteroid, slowing it's progress until it matched the _Noxolo's_ relative speed. Sipho saw a dozen tiny specks fly out from behind the asteroid and repressed a giggle. It might even be larger than a Thoth. Not that he was complaining, that bonus just kept growing and growing in his head.

Sipho manipulated the chunk of vibranium closer to the _Noxolo_ gradually, nudging it around larger asteroids and towards the storage bay. Once it was several meters away from the hull, the containment doors opened, and his job ended. Tractor beams 4 and 5 would take care of actually getting it inside the ship. For now, his job was done.

Sipho leaned back in his seat and began humming a rap song from an artist that his younger brother liked to listen to. He may not be big on American culture, but he was feeling very 'Cash Money' at the moment.

. . .

Thando of the Bhengu clan, Captain of the _Noxolo_, and employee of the Wakandan International Mining Company sighed contentedly as he sank into the hot bath. Most of the crew aboard his ship had had to make do with wet towels for the past three months in order to clean themselves; not him though. As captain, he had special perks when it came to the water reserve, though he tried not to abuse his position too often. They did need that water for cooking and drinking. However, today, he deserved it.

Vibranium mining was an incredibly risky business. With the only Earthly source being the reserve in Central Wakanda which was carefully guarded, mining companies had turned to the rest of the solar system. The meteor that fell to Earth those many millennia ago hadn't been alone, as the deposit on the Moon had proven, and forays into the rest of solar system had uncovered more and more vibranium. However, it wasn't exactly a common mineral (in fact it was rarer than almost any other element), and companies had driven themselves to bankruptcy trying to find even the smallest sliver of the fantastically valuable metal.

That was why the rock that he had in his hold was a once in a lifetime find. He'd only been in the business for...what was it, five years now? And he'd probably be able to retire soon.

So yeah. He deserved a relaxing bath.

"Captain, come in, this is Zodwa in Communications. We are picking up a transmission from the Saturn ODS."

Thando smiled ruefully as he picked his bracelet of kimoyo beads off of the side of the tub. He activated the comm bead, taking care not to select the holographic video one. That'd happened once while he was drying off from bathing. The crew hadn't been able to keep straight faces around him for a week after that.

"This is the captain. Patch me through."

There was a brief pause, before another voice spoke through the kimoyo bead.

"Thando, this is Sanderson. Is this a bad time or should I call back when you have clothes on?"

Thando glared at the bracelet he was holding.

"Zodwa is going to be feeling my boot if she keeps telling people when I'm bathing. A man needs his privacy sometimes."

Sanderson snickered.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just funny. You got lucky, huh?"

"Heh, indeed we did. That rock must be at least twenty tons. Going market price, I'd estimate it's worth a good hundred million if the veins run all the way through. Glory to Bast, we might actually get to head home early."

Thando heard Sanderson suck air in through her teeth.

"Sorry Captain, no can do. That's why I'm calling."

Of course. The biggest haul of his career and there had to be complications. Thando sighed as he got out of the bath and began drying himself off with a spare towel.

"What is it then?"

Sanderson was silent for a moment, the only sound in Thando's ears the thrum of the _Noxolo's_ engines.

"We've been picking up some...strange readings from Charon for the past few hours. The _Noxolo_ is the closest ship in range."

Thando huffed as he pulled on his clothes. Charon was Pluto's moon. He'd have to look at a star chart to be sure, but at their current orientation it should be a trip of only a day or two at their top speed to make it out to the dwarf planet. It'd be nice if Pluto and Neptune were at their twenty year intersection, but they weren't so far apart to be a huge hassle.

"The Legionnaires are still with you, right?" came Sanderson's voice.

"Mmm. You don't think we'll run into space pirates way out here, do you?" Thando said, jokingly.

"Probably not, but better safe than sorry. You never know what's lurking out there in the black, after all."

Thando felt a shiver crawl down his spine. He'd learned about the Infinity War in grade school. He knew very well that things lurked outside of the domain of Sol, even though noone had seen an alien for nearly fifty years. Well, except for the Asgardians in Australia, but they didn't really count, not when they looked exactly like humans did.

"Yes, the Legionnaires are still with us. If worst comes to worst, they can protect the ship while we run away." Thando said grimly. The _Noxolo_ may be an unarmed mining ship, but vibranium was extremely valuable, and the ships that mined the rare metal made for prime targets for pirates that roamed among the inner planets. The ship were fast enough in a straight line to outstrip most pirate vessels, and were always accompanied by escorts from the other four great nations to deter would be thieves. And, if worse came to worst, the _Noxolo_ could trust in the integrity of its hull until help arrived.

"That's something at least. I'll forward our sensor scans to Zodwa. Sanderson out."

. . .

Riri Williams, Airman First Class of the Iron Legion and current flight member of the squad accompanying the _Noxolo_, was bored.

This wasn't an unusual occurrence. With her intellect, being bored was sadly quite common. When your mind moves an order of magnitude faster than other people's, boredom set in quickly when she wasn't actively working on something.

There had been many times over the past two years when she regretted signing up for a tour of duty with the Iron Legion, despite the family tradition. Mostly when she was so bored out of her skull that she felt like she was watching paint dry. Being in the military was somewhat more exciting than sawdust, but it wasn't by much, and she needed stimulation. Her fingers itched to move, build, disassemble, and , she'd had ready access to her Legionnaire suit and the suits of her squadmates at all times; tinkering with the suits had kept her sane for the past two years. And if they weren't exactly regulation anymore, and therefore illegal...well, she'd cross that bridge when it caught on fire.

That wasn't the expression but she liked her version better. Besides, Shepard didn't seem to mind the upgrades.

"Sergeant Shepard, this is Captain Bhengu. We're coming up on Charon."

Riri let out a gusty huff. Finally.

"Captain, this is Sergeant Shepard. The Legion is ready to go, just give us the word."

The faceplate on Shepard's suit flipped down with a solid clank, and the rest of the squad followed suit. Riri smiled as he HUD display lit up in front of her like the world's most complicated Christmas tree.

As boring as military service was, flying never, ever got boring. Flying in space was even better.

Sergeant Shepard's voice came over the comms, and Riri blinked several times to dedicate an exclusive channel to her field officer. If anything important happened, Shepard would tell her, and she didn't like listening to chatter when she was flying.

"Alright boys and girls, we're primed for liftoff. Keep it tight and low, we shouldn't run into trouble but there's no reason to be stupid."

Riri Williams activated her repulsors and started hovering a meter off of the ground, before she angled forwards. Thirty-nine other Legionnaire suits accompanied her out of the deployment bay, flashing red and silver as they flew into the vacuum of space. Riri took her position near the relative top of the ship, adjusting her trajectory until she was at the same approximate trajectory and acceleration as the _Noxolo_.

Speaking of...Riri turned her helmet to observe the _Noxolo_. This was her first time serving aboard a Wakandan ship, and she'd enjoyed the opportunity to study their tech up close. The Infinity Accords, signed in the aftermath of the Infinity War, had limited Wakanda's ability to mine vibranium from sources outside of Central Wakanda. When the Accords were signed, this wasn't a very large concern, of course, as the only known deposit of vibranium was in Wakanda, but things changed when the first lunar deposit was discovered by the New European Union.

Decades later, mining ships from Wakanda were required to be unarmed and have an escort from one of the other three great nations, and that escort would be entitled to a certain amount of the vibranium harvested. However, even with that provision, Wakanda still had access to far more vibranium than the rest of the world.

The _Noxolo_ was quite evident of that. While it wasn't built entirely of vibranium like the personal ship of the Black Panther, she could clearly see the exotic metal worked in it's hull. The ship was shaped rather like a turtle, with silvery lines of vibranium stretching over its 'shell' in hexagonal patterns. Six 'flippers' extended out to the side, loaded down with massive repulsors for maneuverability and speed, while the 'head' was an ungainly looking construct of reinforced glass, titanium, and vibranium that could retract under the 'shell' if the ship was being attacked by pirates.

Riri liked it. Though she did wonder why they'd chosen a turtle design for such a fast ship.

"Eyes up people, we're coming up on Charon."

Riri looked up. There was a shape growing in the distance. She zoomed in on it.

Riri frowned; something about the tiny moon...didn't look quite right. She used her personally upgraded HUD to zoom in even further, then when that wasn't enough, increased her magnification to full.

She blinked in shock, accidentally making her magnification return to normal. With another blink, she opened up a channel to the _Noxolo_ and the rest of her squad.

"This is Legionnaire M397. Are you guys seeing this?"

"M397, this is Zodwa in Communications. Could you elaborate, please, our sensors don't have enough range to see Charon yet, and we barely have visual confirmation."

Riri winced. She may have just revealed that her tech wasn't regulation, to a foreign government no less...Shepard was going to have words with her later. Still, that wasn't important right now.

"It's...that's not Charon. At least, I don't think it is." Riri zoomed back in. "There's a bunch of chunks of ice floating around, but there's this big...tuning fork looking thing…" Riri paused. "And it's glowing blue."

Tense silence followed her words, before a new voice came over her comm.

"M397, this is Captain Bhengu. What else can you tell us about this...tuning fork. Did it destroy Charon?"

Riri shivered.

"Unknown, Captain. Sure does look that way from here. I don't know wh-" Riri cut off speaking as there was a flash of blue light from the relay. With her magnification, she spotted several specks emerging from the construct.

"Contact, unknown vessels coming from the tuning fork. Likely some sort of warp gate."

Riri heard a murmur of quiet swearing from multiple different sources before the Captain took control of the conversation.

"Calm down. By the laws set down in the Infinity Accord, Subsection 3, I hereby declare this a class 2 first contact scenario until we can affirm if those ships are or are not Chitauri in origin."

Riri bit her lip. She had been lamenting how boring it was.

Somehow she didn't think it would be boring anymore.

. . .

Rael'Zorah vas Yeta nar Neema, Captain of the Quarian ship _Yeta_, privately wondered if he had just made the wrong decision.

True, he may have saved his crew from the depredations of the Batarians. Keelah se'lai, he was thankful that they hadn't been caught by the Batarians. However, in the process of doing so, he may have exposed his crew, his family to a whole new threat.

There was a very good reason why opening dormant mass relays was outlawed by the Citadel Council. Anything could be hiding on the other end of a relay, from a friendly species, to nothing at all, to the next Rachni. As bad as Batarians were, Rael would take them over the Rachni.

Of course, actually getting through the relay had been a challenge in and of itself. They'd had to reactivate it from its slumber, which had taken a fair bit longer than he would have liked. Luckily, the Batarians had opted to search elsewhere in the system, apparently not thinking that Rael would be stupid enough to activate a dormant relay.

Hopefully his stupid gamble had paid off.

"Captain, the debris field is recent. All signs point to the relay being formerly encased in ice before our arrival. Chances are it hasn't been touched in a few thousand years."

Rael'Zorah grunted. That was something, at least.

"Are we picking up any ships?"

If there was another spacefaring civilization out here...it could be very good, or very bad, depending on what they were like.

Beeps resounded throughout the bridge as their sensors scanned for any signs of other ships. The technician waited several seconds before answering, in a halting tone of voice.

"...yes, Captain. One large unknown ship. Bringing it up onscreen now."

Rael'Zorah's surprise was quickly overshadowed by a sense of worry. So, he'd tempted Fate and now Fate was going to answer back, eh?

He studied the ship up on the screen. It didn't look terribly threatening, being rather wide and flat, with no visible gun emplacements. Still, appearances could be deceiving.

"Send them our first contact package, and alert the marines. We might need to fight if they prove unfriendly."

X X X

**Codex Entry #199999**

**Earth and the Five Great Nations**

The planet of Earth, home to the species designated -humanity- (collective noun), is a Class G garden world with a population of approximately 8 billion (current census data unavailable to outsiders). As planets go, it is unremarkable in most respects. The humans that live upon it are anything but.

The Five Great Nations of Humanity are the ruling powers of Earth, though they are, at best, loosely allied with one another. No true global government exists, similar to the krogan (see Tuchanka) or the Vorcha, though unlike those species, humanity is a thriving species whose culture is highly sophisticated and diverse, and whose scientific achievements are especially noteworthy.

The Five Great Nations count among their population roughly five sixths of all humans, and three quarters of all available landmasses on the planet are under their control. Though there are independent nations like Russia, Chile, Syria, and Sealand which are not affiliated with the Great Nations, they do not hold the same amount of power in the international (or intergalactic) sphere.

**The United Countries of America (UCA)**

The UCA, also referred to as The Americas or simply America, is a fully unified democratic republic comprising of 35 member states, with a population of 1 billion. The nation has an area of approximately 39 million square kilometers, and was created from the union of the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Cuba, and six other countries besides. The official languages are English and Spanish, with a small handful of other regional languages being spoken. Their currency is the American dollar (valued at 1:1.13 credits, according to the VFS), and the average life expectancy is 112 years (CC Standard).

Like all of the other nations, the UCA has a large amount of specialized technology (see Arc Reactors, Tony Stark, and the Super Soldier Serum).

The UCA is the most culturally diverse great nation, with a full 23% of its citizens being immigrants. It is also the great nation with the highest level of crime, and the largest military (see the Iron Legion and the Star Spangled Corps). 7% of the population of the UCA are enhanced in some way.

The national flag of the UCA depicts 35 golden stars in a blue square on a background of white and purple stripes. It is also commonly referred to as the Nation of Power (see Infinity Stones and Infinity War).

**The New European Union (NEU)**

The NEU, also called Europe, or the Neu (pronounced New), is an economic and political alliance of 22 member states that functions as a singular country, with a population of 0.8 billion. The nation has an area of approximately 11 million square kilometers, and was created from the nations of the Old European Union, along with Greenland, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, and five other countries besides. There is no single official language for the entire NEU, though English, Spanish, and German are all widely spoken. Their currency is the Euro (valued at 1:1.43 credits according to the VFS), and the average life expectancy is 125 years (CC Standard).

Like all of the other nations, the NEU has a large amount of specialized technology (see the Vision, Ultron, and the Maximoff Twins).

The NEU is unique in that roughly 11% of all citizens are AI. Artificial Intelligence's have been accorded full rights as sentient beings and live side by side with humans; one of the most powerful members of the NEU government is an AI himself (see the Vision). 8% of the population of the NEU are enhanced in some way.

The National Flag of the NEU depicts 22 white stars on a field of navy blue, with a single yellow star in the middle. It is also commonly referred to as the Nation of the Mind (see Infinity Stones and Infinity War).

**The Royal Empire of Wakanda (Wakanda)**

The REW, much more commonly referred to as simply Wakanda, is a sovereign nation under the rule of a single monarch (see Black Panther), with a population of 1.3 billion. The nation has an area of approximately 30 million square kilometers, and was created after the Black Panther (Queen Shuri) united the many nations of Africa under Wakandan rule in the aftermath of the Infinity War. There is no official language in Wakanda, though English, Arabic, Swahili, and Xhosa are all widely spoken. Their currency is the Wakandan dollar (valued at 1:1.33 credits according to the VFS), and the average life expectancy is 129 years (CC Standard).

Like all of the other nations, Wakanda has a large amount of specialized technology (see kimoyo beads, black sand, Queen Shuri, and vibranium).

Wakanda has, by far, the greatest stockpile of vibranium, and nearly all Wakandan tech relies on the exotic metal to function. Wakanda is also by far the oldest of the Great Nations, with a history that stretches back nearly four thousand years. 5% of the population of Wakanda are enhanced in some way.

The National Flag of Wakanda depicts a red panther on a field of green, with an orange bar running through the flag. It is also referred to as the Nation of the Soul (see Infinity Stones and Infinity War).

**The Pan-Asian Conglomerate (PAC)**

The PAC, also known as simply Asia, is an economic and political alliance of 34 member states that functions as a singular country, with a population of 3.1 billion. The nation has an area of approximately 40 million square kilometers, and was created from the union of China, India, Bangladesh, Japan, Mongolia, and fifteen other nations besides. There is no single official language for the entire PAC, though English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi are all widely spoken. Their currency is the rupee (valued at 3.98:1 credits according to the VFS), and the average life expectancy is 109 years (CC Standard).

Like all of the other nations, the PAC has a large amount of specialized technology (see the Cradle, Helen Cho, and Hiro Hamada).

The PAC is the most populous nation by a significant margin, covers the largest area, and has the second highest level of crime. It has the highest percentage of people below the poverty line. In addition, it is the nation with the highest percentage of enhanced individuals, with nearly 25% of its populace having either a genetic or cybernetic enhancement (there are more enhanced individuals in the PAC then there are citizens of Midgard).

The National Flag of the PAC is a black Dragon (see Fictional Earth creatures) curled around a white circle on a field of red. It is also referred to as the Nation of Reality (see Infinity Stones and Infinity War).

**The Midgardian Australian Community (Midgard)**

The MAC, much more commonly referred to as Midgard, is a nation that is apparently ruled by a nigh immortal alien called Thor Odinson, and yet at the same time is a representative republic, with a population of 0.5 billion. It covers an area of 9 million square kilometers, and was created from the union of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, various other island nations, and a small group of Asgardians. The official language is the Allspeak, which is not at present time well understood, but which can apparently be understood by any race or species as if their native tongue was being spoken. Their currency is the Asgardian coin (valued at 1:2.1 credits according to the VFS), and the average life expectancy is unknown.

Like all of the other nations, Midgard has a large amount of specialized technology (see Asgardian technology).

Midgard is the most perplexing of the great nations, and the least in known about it. Council researchers have returned from Midgard with wildly divergent stories that sometimes don't match up and often make little sense. What can usually be agreed upon is that Asgardians are some kind of near human subspecies from a different planet known as Asgard, which was destroyed in an event known as Ragnarok. The percentage of enhanced individuals is unknown.

The National Flag of Midgard is a black Celtic knot on a field of gold, with 5 blue stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. It is also referred to as the Nation of Space (see Infinity Stones and Infinity War).


	2. Chapter 2

**Z.R. Stein**

**A New Sunrise - A Mass Effect/MCU crossover AU fic.**

**I do not own the characters of the respective properties in any way, shape, or form.**

**More crossposting, yaaaay.**

**Oh, and for those who are curious, the wider Marvel Galaxy doesn't really exist in this fic, at least not as it's shown in GotG and Captain Marvel. Asgard and the other seven realms exist on separate planes/dimensions and never had contact with the rest of the galaxy.**

X X X

Chapter 1.2: First Contact

Thando leaned back in his chair, waiting. He was tense, his posture stiff and defensive as he prayed to Bast in the privacy of his mind. It had been fifty years since humans had last seen an alien other than the Asgardians. Fifty years since those aliens had wiped out half of the Earth's population.

"Captain, incoming transmission. Video and audio."

Hopefully, history would not repeat itself. But if it did...they would be avenged.

"Put it up onscreen. I want to see what our visitors have sent us."

The holographic screen at the apex of the bridge flared to life. Two figures appeared on it, framed against a metallic backdrop. Both wore hoods and had opaque faceplates concealing their features. Thando noted absently that their hoods possessed a significant degree of ornamentation. That likely indicated one of two things: either this species wore hoods and faceplates for important ceremonies, or they wore them all the time.

The figure on the left raised a three fingered hand in a gesture that seemed to be a greeting.

"Keelah se'lai, evayya." The alien placed the hand on it's chest and said "Tsi Hila'Daan vas _Qwib Qwib_.", then paused and repeated the message.

Thando released a bit of the tension in his muscles. This had all the bearings of a pre-recorded first contact message. They weren't out of the woods yet, but hostiles weren't generally going to introduce themselves before they shot someone.

The figure repeated itself a third time, before its partner began, repeating the same ritual.

"Keelah se'lai, evayya. Tsi Lia'Loth vas _Qwib Qwib_."

Thando nodded once to himself. He didn't speak the language, but the gist of the message was clear. A greeting, followed by a declaration similar or identical to 'I am', followed by a name. He wondered why both of them had 'vas _Qwib Qwib_' in their name though. Perhaps it was their clan?

Two more aliens stepped into view. The first alien who spoke placed a hand once again on their chest and spoke one word "Quarian." It then pointed to each of the other three in turn and repeated the word.

Thando heard a murmur of excitement echo around the bridge. So, they had a name for the species; Quarian. He rolled it around in his head. It was a good name, he decided. Much gentler than Chitauri. Less inclined to savagery, or at least he hoped so.

With at least some evidence that they were not confronted by a Chitauri ship, Thando called out and spoke.

"Send them our package as well. Don't want to be rude, now, do we?" Another murmur circled the bridge, and Zodwa nodded to him.

"Sending the standard Five Nations package on your orders, Captain."

Thando nodded as well and turned back to the holographic screen, where the other two Quarians were being introduced.

. . .

"We're getting something from them, Captain. Looks like they've sent us their own FC package in response."

Rael loosened his death grip on the arms of his chair. That was something, at least.

"Alright. Bring it up onscreen. Let us see who we have met this day."

The message opened with a view of a garden world, and Rael felt a brief pang of jealousy that he quickly smothered. Unknown words flashed above the blue and green marble, and a deep, masculine voice said one word "Earth."

The name of this specie's homeworld, most likely, Rael concluded. The image zoomed in and moved over the planet, flying over several large cities (with noticeable defense platforms, Rael noted) until it settled over a small island temporarily, before zooming in further. The image panned up until the crew of the _Yeta_ were looking at a lush, green forest.

One of the officers in the room snorted.

"Dramatic species, aren't they? Had to make some fancy graphics transitions for that and everything."

Rael made a sound of disagreement.

"I don't think so. The sweeping camera very clearly flew over the defense platforms. Remember, in a first contact package, everything must be taken at face value; if it's in there, it's intentional. While the end location may indicate a non hostile species, the trip to the island seems to indicate a position of defensiveness. They want to asset that they are not to be underestimated."

The room fell silent as two individuals walked onscreen. Rael blinked at their resemblance to Asari, especially the one on the right; turn this species blue and change the fur on the top of their head into scalp crests and they'd be practically identical. Once again, a word flashed at the top of the screen and a masculine voice spoke "Human." The figure on the left placed a hand on its (his, perhaps, the figure looked masculine) chest and repeated the word in a slightly lighter tone. The figure on the right placed a hand on her chest (presumably her. For all Rael knew the other one could be the female) and repeated the word in a very light, feminine tone. That settled it; until proved otherwise, Rael would assume that the one on the right was female and the one on the left was male.

"Human." Rael rolled the word around in his mouth. He could hear several other members of the bridge crew doing the same.

The male figure indicated itself and said "Hello. I am Reed Richards." The female mirrored him and said "Hello. I am Susan Storm."

Rael nodded, glad that this species seemed to be following a standard path of introduction. It indicated that they thought along similar lines to Quarians and most of the Council races, which made his job much easier.

The video continued. The image zoomed back out to the entire planet, and a large section of land was highlighted in purple. Words once more appeared at the top of the screen, a much longer string this time.

"United Countries of America."

A different section of the land was highlighted, this time in orange.

"Wakanda."

An enormous swath of land followed, highlighted in red.

"Pan-Asian Conglomerate."

A smaller section nestled inbetween the orange and red followed, being colored yellow.

"New European Union."

And finally, a string of islands of various sizes and a single small continent were highlighted in blue.

"Midgard."

Rael threaded his fingers together. Five nations? Rael noted that all five combined did not cover all available land on the planet. Independent states or simply unlivable areas? Large superstates weren't exactly common in the modern age, not when races could stretch across dozens of planets. Perhaps this species simply hadn't gotten to the point of having a single planetary government. Perhaps they hadn't even left their solar system yet; it would explain the inactivity of the mass relay.

Rael felt more of the tension he'd built up leave him. While they could still doubtlessly be dangerous, if this species had truly never left their solar system, then their vessel wouldn't be as advanced as his own. He'd take dealing with a more primitive species over some sort of hyper advanced civilization like from a bad holo-vid.

If worst came to worst, the _Yeta_ could probably win in a fight.

. . .

Aboard the Noxolo, Thando watched as a whole cadre of new alien species flashed across the screen. The blue skinned and eerily humanlike Asari, the metallic and almost Chitauri-like Turians, the stereotypically alien looking Salarians; a dozen species and more crossed the screen, all connecting to the image of an enormous, four pronged space station of some kind.

Thando chewed on his lip. A run of the mill mining mission had turned into a first contact scenario, and now they were discovering that there was an entire galactic community out there, like something out of _Star Wars_. He wasn't sure how to proceed. There wasn't an established protocol for _Star Wars_.

He was tempted to contact the Saturn Station or Earth, but without assurance that the Quarians would take offense to such an action, he withheld. He'd continue as they had been. Once the first contact video ran its course, they could try to hail the ship personally and arrange a meeting.

Thando weighed the options in his mind. On the one hand...he'd be much more comfortable having the meeting be held onboard the _Noxolo_. The home court advantage would be a position of power. On the other hand...perhaps volunteering to board the alien ship could also be seen as a power move. An assertion of being unafraid. And if he brought along a few members of the Iron Legion and the handful of War Dogs he had onboard...that could work. A simple display of power.

Onscreen, the next alien appeared. It was quickly announced to be a 'krogan'.

"M'khulu, eh. M'khulu kakhulu, m'lawuli."

A ripple of laughter spread throughout the bridge. Thando nodded. Yes, that was a 'very big guy' indeed. The alien onscreen looked like a rhinoceros standing on two legs. Well, maybe more if a rhinoceros and a frog had a mutant child. It towered nearly a full head over the other aliens onscreen, the enormous hump on its back rising even higher. If he had the scale right in his mind, that thing had to be well over two meters tall. Thando heard Zodwa snicker.

"I bet the Jabari would like to throw down with these krogan. I'd pay to see that match. Front row seats, in fact."

Thando snorted quietly, then cleared his throat. He couldn't afford to be distracted here.

"Quiet. I'm listening."

. . .

The video closed out, and Rael sat back in his chair. There had been more files contained within the package sent, and he had been informed that they contained what looked like a simplified history, and more. For now, though, Rael wanted to think on what he had learned.

So, humans. A bipedal, mammalian species that hailed from the planet Earth. All accounts pointed to them never having left their solar system. There were five superstates present on Earth, each of which had given their own message of welcome. Rael wondered if the individuals onscreen were the rulers of each nation; they had certainly looked the part. They had all been obviously wealthy, healthy, and intelligent, and all had been seated in front of some public building. The one that stood out the most though was the pale male with the golden eyepatch, wielding a spear in one hand, of all things. Where the other four had been dressed in dark, formal looking cloth, the last leader to appear wore archaic armor that was adorned with unknown symbols. His chin fur and scalp fur was long and meticulously cared for, contrasting the other four's close cropped fur, and was braided in intricate knots.

Rael wondered why this leader was so different from the rest. What was the reason for that? What did the spear represent? Perhaps 'Midgard' was the military arm of Earth? He couldn't think why else the spear would be held unless it was ceremonial.

Or perhaps, the spear was in fact a form of ersatz military technology. Most Council races used guns, but there were a few scattered between the races who still used swords that paired well with biotic abilities. Perhaps the human was a biotic?

Leaning back in his chair, Rael considered other information gleaned from the message. Each of the leaders who had appeared onscreen had not been alone. Some variant of soldier or bodyguard had been present alongside them (or at least, Rael presumed that is what they were. Some of them did not seem very combat ready). For 'Peter Parker, President of the UCA', it had been a figure in silver and red power armour and a man in a dark blue outfit, carrying a circular shield of all things. For 'Anita Goyle, Representative of the NEU', it had been a blonde female in a long red coat, a dark haired male in blue armour, and a pair of artificial platforms that Rael desperately hoped were VI's. For 'Azari, King of Wakanda', it had been three bald females carrying more spears.

'Xiaoyi Chen, Representative of the PAC' had been accompanied by five individuals in brightly coloured armour who had spent the entire greeting video posing. And finally, Thor Odinson had been accompanied by an thin, unarmoured man in casual clothing with dark hair, and a woman in white and gold armor with a sword straped to her hip.

Rael shook his head. Having five points of culture instead of only one complicated things greatly. While the video had presented the five nations as being friendly, it had not indicated that they were explicitly allied. Such an arrangement could mean that whatever he negotiated with one faction could come back to bite him later.

Well...he supposed he'd just have to deal with that issue when he came to it.

"Haan, are you working on the translation software?"

Rael's Communications Officer saluted him.

"Yes, captain. We have enough linguistics data to throw together a rough program. Not more than a hundred words, but you should be able to at least discuss the basics...hopefully."

"How long do you need to finish it?"

Haan paused, making calculations in his head.

"An hour. Forty minutes if we rush."

"Take an hour and a half. This is first contact, people. We don't rush anything, not if we can help it. Rushing things leads to mistakes, and mistakes leads to us getting stabbed by those pointy spears that these humans seem to love carrying. Bring their FC package back up onscreen, I want to look at their history."

. . .

"Hail Shepard. I want her to weigh in on this decision."

"Yes sir. Bringing her up onscreen now, sir."

The screen that was playing the package sent from the Quarian ship (the _Yeta_, Thando now knew), shrunk to half its size. Hannah Shepard's face took up the other half of the screen.

"Captain Bhengu."

"Sergeant Shepard. You've been listening along, I hope?"

Hannah Shepard's laughter echoed around the bridge of the _Noxolo_.

"Missing first contact with a foreign alien government? I don't think there's a person in my squad who isn't riveted to their transmission screen that you've been piggybacking to us. Pardon my language sir, but this is some _Star Trek_ shit."

Thando raised an eyebrow and frowned.

"Now is not the time for levity...and _Star Wars_ is better anyways."

Thando studiously ignored Hannah's eyeroll and continued in a serious manner.

"I'm going to contact the _Yeta_. I think the first face to face meeting should occur onboard their ship, but I want to take along at least two of your Legionnaires, preferably three. Who can you spare for me?"

Shepard's face settled into a frown.

"Hill, Williams, and Frisco. You three up to meeting some aliens?"

"Aye, Sergeant."

"Can do, Capi-tain!"

"Yes, sir."

The edge of Shepard's mouth twitched.

"Well, Captain Bhengu, you have your escort. We're ready when you are."

Thando nodded, then turned his gaze to Zodwa.

"Send the graphic, Zodwa. Let's see if they'll allow us onboard."

X X X

**Codex Entry #201088**

**The Militaries of the Five Great Nations **

The militaries of the planet Earth are diverse and unusual in their variant scope. Each of the Five Great Nations has a number of highly specialized, often enhanced types of units which can be deployed in armed conflicts. While some of these groups bear striking similarities to specialized classes of Council military units such as Spectres, STG operatives, or Asari Commandos, others do not.

**The Military of the UCA: **

_The Iron Legion:_ A military service branch made up entirely of pilots using variants of the Iron Legion Power Armour. This military branch was created using re-purposed

Stark technology (see Iron Man), and counts among its ranks an estimated ten thousand members. Individual pilots are referred to as Legionnaires, and individual suits of armor are referred to as Legionnaire Armor. There are several sub-branches of pilots within this branch of the UCA military such as the heavily armed and armored War Machine Unit, the super-heavy frontline Buster Unit, and the fast moving Iron Spider Unit.

_The Star Spangled Corps:_ This military service branch is made up of soldiers who have undergone genetic enhancement via the Super Soldier Serum Type-F. This military branch was created by Steve Rogers (see Captain America), and counts among its ranks an estimated fifteen thousand members. Soldiers of the SSC have as standard equipment a handgun, blue body armor, and a circular shield made from a titanium-vibranium alloy. Soldiers of the SSC are highly trained in hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and leadership, and comprise the heart of the UCA's enhanced ground forces.

_The Falcon Scouts:_ This military service branch is made up of pilots equipped with variants of the EXO-14 Falcon Hardsuit. This military branch was created by Sam Wilson (see the Falcon), and counts among its ranks an estimated two thousand members. Pilots of the Falcon Scouts are not frontline fighters and are deployed primarily as border patrol agents, reconnaissance scouts, and aerial investigators.

_The Winter Soldiers:_ This covert military branch is made up of soldiers who have undergone genetic enhancement via the Super Soldier Serum Type-G. This military branch is highly secretive and not much is known about it. Soldiers of this branch are highly trained in espionage, stealth, assassination, and sabotage, as well as hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and more. They are the wetworks arm of the UCA and can be compared to Salarian STG operatives.

**The Military of the NEU:**

_The Coven:_ This military service branch is made up of soldiers who have been undergone genetic enhancement via the Scarlet Serum. This military branch was created by Wanda Maximoff (see Scarlet Witch), and counts among its ranks an estimated two thousand members. Soldiers of the Coven tend to be female (less than 5% are male), and they possess abilities similar to Asari biotics. Individual soldiers are referred to as Witches. Witches may be deployed in a variety of roles, but a majority of Witch assignments are covert.

_The Speed Force:_ This military service branch is made up of soldiers who have undergone genetic enhancement via the Silver Serum. This military branch was created in the memory of Pietro Maximoff (see Quicksilver), and counts among its ranks an estimated two thousand members. Individual soldiers of the Speed Force are referred to as Runners. They are primarily deployed as reconnaissance units, shock troopers, and couriers.

_The Sentries:_ This military branch is made up entirely of AI platforms that have been derived from Ultron Bots. This military branch was created by the Vision, and counts among its ranks an estimated ten thousand platforms. Due to the nature of the Sentries as AI, the number of individual programs cannot be estimated, as it is constantly in flux. The Sentries are largely deployed as frontline fighters and cannon fodder, and hold some similarities to the Geth. Their main weapon is a plasma cannon.

_The Jaegers:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers piloting enormous sets of Jaeger Power Armour. This military branch was created using re-purposed Stark tech (see the Hulkbuster) and bears some similarity to the Iron Legion. Jaegers are even larger than Buster units, though, standing at a towering four meters tall and weighing in at just under ten tons. There are only fifty suits of Jaeger Power Armour currently in use by the NEU.

**The Military of Wakanda:**

_The Hatut Zeraze:_ Also called the War Dogs, the Hatut Zeraze are the border guards and general military of Wakanda. Often cybernetically enhanced, the soldiers of the Hatut Zeraze have as standard equipment a shield cloak, a plasma pistol, and a vibranium shotel. They count among their ranks an estimated four thousand members. The Hatut Zeraze has a practice of riding large, armored animals into combat such as the white rhinoceros and the African elephant.

_The Dora Milajae:_ The personal guard of the King of Wakanda, and the special forces unit of Wakanda. This all-female group of warriors have as standard equipment a vibranium spear, Dora armour, and an energy shield. The Dora Milajae are highly trained in hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and bladesmanship. They count among their ranks an estimated five hundred members.

_The Inyoka:_ This covert branch of the Wakandan military is highly secretive. The Inyoka, also known as the Snakes, are the wetworks arm of the Wakandan military. They are highly trained in espionage, stealth, assassination, and sabotage, as well as hand to hand combat and marksmanship.

_The Ukhozi Olukhulu:_ The Air Force of the Wakandan military. The Ukhozi Olukhulu, also known as the Great Eagles, count among their ranks an estimated four thousand members. Pilots of the Ukhozi often fly the Thoth-class strike ship, a lightweight and fast Wakandan air vessel with good maneuverability.

**The Military of the PAC:**

_The Sentai:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers who have been genetically and cybernetically enhanced by the Cradle. This military branch was modeled after the original BH6 Sentai team, and counts among its ranks an estimated four thousand members. Individual members of the Sentai are referred to as Rangers. The Sentai serve as the general enhanced ground forces of the PAC, and have a number of sub branches such as the super heavy Red Rangers, the support based Purple Rangers, the close ranged Green Rangers, the aerial Blue Rangers, and the highly mobile Yellow Rangers.

_The Baymax Brigade:_ This military branch is made entirely up of AI platforms that have been derived from Baymax Prime. They are exclusively noncombatants, and serve as battlefield medics, aid workers, firefighters, and debris clearers. This military branch was created by Hiro Hamada, and counts among its ranks an estimated seven thousand platforms. Unlike the Sentries, Baymax units are locked to their platforms and cannot leave, though it should be noted that the Baymax program can be easily copied from Baymax Prime.

_The Iron Fists:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers who have been trained extensively in the use of chi. Members of the Iron Fists are individually known as Fists, and serve as both covert operatives and special ops units for the PAC. They are highly trained in espionage, stealth, assassination, sabotage, and chi techniques.

_The Storms:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers who have been genetically and cybernetically enhanced by the Cradle and who have been trained extensively in the use of chi. They serve as the elite special forces and commandos of the PAC, and they count among their ranks an estimated five hundred members. Rumors persist that the Storms have received training from individuals known only as 'the Masters', and that they have access to 'elemental magic'. Such rumors are unsubstantiated and should be ignored.

**The Military of Midgard:**

_The Valkyries:_ This predominantly female military branch is made up of soldiers who have been genetically enhanced through the use of Asgardian Gene Grafts. This branch was founded by Sif and Brunnhilde, and counts among its ranks an estimated one thousand members. The Valkyries serve as elite shock troopers and are highly trained in hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and bladesmanship. Their standard equipment consists of Valkyrie armour and the Dragonfang.

_The Royal Army:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers who have been genetically enhanced through the use of Asgardian Gene Grafts. This branch was founded by the Warriors Three, and counts among its ranks an estimated six thousand members. The Royal Army serves as the general ground forces for Midgard.

_The Toa:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers who have been enhanced through an unknown method. This branch is primarily composed of the aboriginal peoples of Midgard, including the Aboriginal Austalians, the Maori, and the Samoans. The Toa serve as frontline fighters and are highly trained in hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and bladesmanship. Rumors persist that they are capable of some sort of 'transformation magic' and 'elemental magic', but these rumors are unsubstantiated and should be ignored.

_The Seidhr:_ This military branch is made up of soldiers who have been enhanced through the use of Asgardian Gene Grafts. This branch was founded by Loki Odinson, and serves as the wetworks arm of Midgard. Soldiers of this branch are highly trained in espionage, stealth, assassination, and sabotage, as well as hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and more. The Seidhr are reputed to be capable of some sort of 'illusion magic', but these rumors are unsubstantiated and should be ignored.

**Note:**

These numbers do NOT reflect the total number of all active military personnel within each nation, rather they are estimations of the number of powered or otherwise extraordinary soldiers within each nation. The number of non-powered soldiers that use more normal weaponry is not yet known.


End file.
